


I Drew A Line For You (oh what a thing to do)

by Whatthef0ucault



Series: And It Was All Yellow [1]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Canon, Anxiety, Anxious Thoughts, Best Friends, Boston Bruins, Brief Mentions Of Matt's Hit In Stanley Cup Finals, Brief Waggle Mention, College Hockey, Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hockey, Idiots in Love, M/M, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, National Hockey League, OT3, Polyamory, Typical Hockey Violence, Who Needs Love Triangles?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23305858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatthef0ucault/pseuds/Whatthef0ucault
Summary: When Matt finds himself among the three on three frenzy sharing the ice with the two people who somehow bring his head and his body together the easiest, he sinks into the flow of the equation like chemistry. The only thing more natural for Matt is the happiness that catches in his chest at the success of his long pass to Jake and then the way it is set ablaze at the sight of Charlie finally, finally making his first goal of the season.Matt has a front row seat.or02/05/2020 Bruins vs Blackhawks: Charlie McAvoy breaks his season-long dry spell and scores the game winning goal with an official assist from Jake Debrusk and an unofficial one from Matt Grzelcyk. Matt only cares about the happiness of his friends and the win for the team. So why does he feel so anxious?
Relationships: Jake DeBrusk/Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk/Matt Grzelcyk, Jake DeBrusk/Matt Grzelcyk/Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk/Charlie McAvoy
Series: And It Was All Yellow [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676023
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	I Drew A Line For You (oh what a thing to do)

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was inspired by the wholesome celly between Jake and Charlie and a little bit with Matt, which can be seen [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=8yInFc6zFuM&feature=emb_logo). 
> 
> Also drew some [inspiration](https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/need-to-know-bruins-vs-coyotes/c-314771214) from Charlie recalling what he said to Jake on the ice. I am only human.
> 
> ~~I also am a dumbass and took a long time to write this before I realized that it was Krejci on the play and not Matt cause I can't tell 46 from 48 apart, and Matt was coming onto the play at the end anyway. Soooo we're just gonna pretend it happened differently.~~
> 
> Disclaimer: I in no way mean any offense or disrespect to the real life counterparts portrayed here. This is simply for fun and not an accurate representation of their lives or relationships.

Little compares to the intrinsic flow of hyperfocus Matt feels while driving the puck down center ice during a no less than hard-fought for overtime period. Being a smaller defenseman with an overactive mind, hockey has always been equally mental as it is physical for the Charlestown native. His quick thinking, instinctive maneuvers, and inexplicable connections between himself and his teammates are as equally relied upon as his checks, fights, and skating skills to get the job done. So when Matt finds himself among the three on three frenzy sharing the ice with the two people who somehow bring his head and his body together the easiest, he sinks into the flow of the equation like chemistry. The only thing more natural for Matt is the happiness that catches in his chest at the success of his long pass to Jake and then the way it is set ablaze at the sight of Charlie finally, finally making his first goal of the season.

Matt has a front row seat.

Silence fills the Blackhawks arena with their win as the energy dissipates in the open air but erupts within a concentrated twenty foot radius of the now defenseless goal. Without hesitation or shame, Jake literally leaps into the air and tackles a still stunned Charlie down onto the ice. The display of affection is moving enough to take Matt's breath away, let alone his own panting exertion that is dying away with the elation overcoming him to fill the space. He’s the first one there within seconds, of course, being in on the play. Matt hears the half jumbled, adrenaline fueled almost nonsense words the two are spouting with Jake shaking Charlie’s head playfully and Charlie laughing, 73 and 74 interlocked in the exchange.

“You did- knew you wou-OH, I gotta pay up!”

“I know! Finally!- No, no, no way! Your _pass_!”

Matt’s joyful voice trickles into the fray.

“That was so amazing guys!”

With Jake laid directly over the full length of Charlie’s body and no indication of getting up any time soon, Matt leans down with awkward half-hugging motions trying to see where he could fit into the celly. He’s not surprised when they keep rambling at each other, so he tries again.

“Charlie, I knew it was gonna happen soon. Remem-?”

Glancing over to see Krejci joining them first, Matt tenses when he hears Charlie’s overjoyed voice rambling even further at Jake.

“I love you-”

“I love you, too!-” Jake’s reply is instant, shameless, as is Charlie’s doubled down response.

“I love you so much...”

The surge of the whole team’s energy is suddenly upon them at the core. It’s pressed into Matt’s back and pushes him on top of the two idiots on the ice, forcing him to brace himself on the board and over them like a shield. A rush of familiar voices and bodies are cheering and celebrating all around him, and he tells himself that it's the weight bearing down on him and all of the infectious emotion around him that’s making it hard to breathe.

* * *

Trudging back down the tunnel with the rest of the team on jelly-tired muscles and lead-strapped feet after flying around effortlessly on the ice, whether after a win or a loss, is always a little jarring to Matt. He supposes he feels thankful for the lack of cameras being shoved in _his_ face this time as he sees the media crews moving past him to the rink where Charlie and Jake still were. Afterall, it makes for less awkward, repetitive answers he has to give and less bright lights he has to squint down and away from. His slightly shy disposition has never quite enjoyed that type of attention.

_‘“I love you-”’_

_‘It’s probably not what you think it is, or maybe it is but why is it any of your business?’_ Matt thinks to himself while his over active mind starts to wander back into his head, no longer occupied with the input of the game but still running on the high of the win. _‘I wouldn’t care, of course I wouldn’t care, I’m not an asshole like that.’_

Still, the way Marchy was obnoxiously yelling down the hall to the visiting team’s locker room about the win, and the way Bergeron was laughing with his hand on the other’s shoulder to reign him in somewhat without a word only pulled out a half-smile.

 _‘Jeez, Marchy at it again. He never loses energy...like Jake, such a spaz…’_ The thought of the other tugs out a full one, along with half-replayed memories of late nights both on and off season spent with Jake venturing out into restless city life or staying in with take out and playing xbox, most of the time ending with his stomach sore from laughing so much either way.

And yet, Jake’s words to Charlie play across his thoughts in response.

_‘“I love you, too!-”’_

_‘This is so dumb, man. Get it together, come on.’_ Matt shakes his head to shake the thoughts out, his guilty conscience immediately reminding him of the dangerous hit he took in Game 2 of the Cup finals not a whole year before. He only has fuzzy memories of Jake helping him off the ice that later tape viewings helped him make sense of but crystal clear recall of Jake’s concerned blue eyes just a touch too close in his personal space when he fully came to in the medical suite of the stadium not long after. The way those fingers brushed across his cheek, and the smallest hint of Jake’s ghost of an accent came out with his _‘“I didn’t know tough things came in such small packages, eh?”’_ makes Matt chuckle to himself in the present as he reaches the end of the walkway.

 _‘Man, I miss that.’_ Matt blinks. _‘...what the-? Ignoring that, ignoring that, ignoring that….’_

Walking into the locker room now, he sees Coyle and Wagner at their respective neighboring lockers, like always. Already out of most of their pads, they sit close looking at something Wags is showing his long time friend on his phone and sharing smiles and similarly accented words. Taking a moment to draw in a quiet, shaky breath, Matt is finally acknowledged, somewhat, when he greets them in passing and they both give him a small and very Massachusetts-like “How are ya?” without turning their attention away from the other.

Matt is annoyed at the lack of a distraction from the strange feelings trying to crawl into his chest rather than offended, knowing how his home state and its natives tended to conduct themselves. Already forgotten, he turns to his temporary stall in the foreign facility, the stall to his right immediately grabbing his attention with further flutterings. _‘C Mcavoy 73.’_

_‘“I love you-”’_

Matt closes his eyes as he hears Charlie’s voice in his head again saying words he has heard the other say before to others, to the team, to himself even in so many different contexts and ways. Charlie was always quite free with expressing his feelings to his friends and teammates once he formed those bonds with them, something Matt still found himself struggling with years later when he occasionally spiraled into bad headspaces.

 _‘It-...could’ve meant anything, doesn’t matter. It's Charlie’s ni- Charlie’s and Jake’s night.’_ Matt swallows down the unexpected tightness in his throat with his usual post-game protein bar and gatorade a little quicker than usual.

 _'Fuck, get over it- so selfish. Tonight was really awesome for Charlie...just like college.’_ Matt’s thoughts wander further back for a long moment as they were prone to lately with Charlie, back to when the chubby-cheeked man was even more baby-faced as a college freshman and Matt a college senior and team captain, defensive partners. Matt remembers so many moments of showing Charlie around Boston and helping the New Yorker adjust to life in his 'sworn enemy' city, becoming so comfortable with each other so quickly and somehow helping Matt’s college-frenzied head go quiet once in a while.

 _‘...And that Beanpot game...the game winning goal with him on the play…’_ The thought still gives him goosebumps and pulls a tiny amount of color to his face from the sheer amount of joy his goal had brought the whole team, the cheers roaring in the stadium, the dog pile he had ended up on the bottom of, but especially from the look on Charlie’s face he had singled out among the whole experience. From shocking victory to the clearing crowd with Charlie’s hand helping him back up and pulling him into tight hugs and affectionate head taps, Matt smiles a tiny, stupid smile down at his phone he pretends to check.

Matt’s memory pulls him through many other tight hugs Charlie had been liberal with throwing around his smaller frame, even the occasional ghost of a kiss to his temple when things were exceptionally special. _‘Man, I miss that too- Wait. No, not agai-What is wrong with me? Ignore it, ignore it, it's fine, it's fine, everything is **fine**.’_

A loud whoop from the rest of the guys has him fumbling shaky fingers through his bag and through his gear. _‘It’s just the adrenaline, it's just the adrenaline.’_ With his back firmly to everyone, he faintly hears Jake’s proud voice cut through the locker room chatter still singing his praises about Charlie. Matt pulls his jersey off and his memory is pulled back once more to the way everything went dark during his first NHL fight while trying to defend Charlie after a nasty, unfair hit. Without even thinking, he had gone after the guy who laid the head hit on his best friend. Matt had also happened to forget to hook his jersey before the game that particular day, which made matters that much worse when it ended up over his head with his pads on full display. Jake had been on the play as well, very obviously angry about the hit himself but had been forced to keep the others out of the fight and eventually also helped Charlie off the ice.

A small amount of pride and protectiveness streaks through his anxiety for a brief window of reprieve at the thought, and Matt tries to take his own bait. However, another big commotion behind him raises the volume in the room once again, and he is finally forced to face the others. Matt’s eyes catch sight of Jake first, somehow, who is looking at him rather than whatever stimulus had everyone else’s attention, a rarity for Jake of all people. The moment is so brief, Matt almost thinks he makes it up, with Jake flashing him a soft smile and turning the same smile to Charlie and Big Zee walking in and triggering the rounds of applause, a social cue Matt almost completely misses.

Trying to catch up and appear at least somewhat normal, Matt’s delayed claps come a step before he sees Charlie walking over to him. Like the delay in his body language, there is a sidestep to his self-awareness that has him crashing back into his body a beat late, realizing just how fast his pulse has picked up, how warmth has started to spread over his skin once again as if they were still actively playing, and how loud his thoughts were about how downright gorgeous Charlie looked. An echo of similar variety had him glancing at Jake the same way.

_‘Why can’t I just pick which one I love more?!’_

The realization hits Matt like a particular Blues center. Matt turns back around as calmly and casually as possible to now avoid Charlie’s concerned look as he stands an arm's length away.

 _‘-No, no, no, no, no don’t do this Matt. Now is not the time.'_ He tries to pull in deeper, silent breaths through his nose to fight the vice grip around his chest without drawing any attention to himself. _'These are “can’t sleep at 2am thoughts”, not “awesome post-game winning thoughts”. Come the fuck on now.’_

_‘“I love you-”’_

_‘“I love you, too!-”’_

_‘“I love you so much...”’_

“Hey…” Charlie’s hand is on Matt’s shoulder, and against his better judgement, Matt sinks into the comfort the weight and warmth of it brings him, “are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m g-” He is interrupted by their Coach to start their usual post-game debriefing. The relief is staggering; Matt's always been an awful liar.

* * *

Matt spends longer in the shower than he normally ever did, just until he feels like he can finally breathe again. His acute awareness of his tactic to avoid being around the team does nothing to quell his actions, and he could care less about the fall out of said decision in a future session with his therapist. It was worth the exchange for the instant comfort he felt now by the quietness that reverberated off of tiled floors and walls instead of the voices of camera crews and boisterous men. The hot water helps to melt away the tension in his body, and he is so looking forward to a rare night of a hotel room all to himself. It's almost funny how earlier that day he had worried about possibly feeling lonely tonight.

Matt walks out from the showers in a casual pair of sweats and a bruins tee shirt, not bothering to style his wet hair now tousled randomly. Looking down at his phone, he doesn’t see the pair of bodies sitting too close together in the locker room when he first approaches. He only vaguely registers low, murmured conversation trailing off about the anxious but hopeful prospect of finally being able to express innocent, genuine intimacy in Matt's hotel room, if all goes well. The sound of a creaking wooden bench with their sudden movements to part necessary inches, however, alerts him to their presence, and definitely does not make him jump the slightest bit in surprise.

“Sorry,” Jake says from where he has his head leaned on Charlie’s shoulder, his shaggy hair out instead of normally hidden under a hat, and fluffed out in the way that only happens when fingers have carded through the strands. “Didn’t mean to startle you, Gryz.”

Charlie’s hand is still moving slightly restless at his side, guilty, as he adds “Yeah, we just wanted to wait for you, but give you some space too.” The younger defenseman expresses a sweet grin, almost shy, something Matt hasn’t seen since they’d first met.

“It’s okay…” Matt trails for a moment, completely lost as to what to say. He launches into an automatic response to fill the space while his thoughts continue behind it, trying to anticipate where the conversation will go. “Congrats on the play tonight, it was awesome.”

Does he ask about the obvious displays of affection right in front of his eyes? _‘Well, that basically confirms it, right? It can’t be more obvious.’_ Does he make some weird joke to cover over everything? _‘Should I just act normal?’_ Have his stupid feelings been found out finally? _‘Do they know and they’re trying to let me down easy?’_ Should he even ask why they’re waiting for him? _‘Why are they here? Why did they wait? I can’t ask that though-’_

Matt blinks when Charlie and Jake each take one of his hands and gently pull him further into the room.

“Oh come on. We couldn’t have done it without you, Matt.” Jake counters, Charlie following in agreement.

“Yeah, no way. It wouldn’t have worked with anyone else.”

He must be looking at them in some kind of way, because his face starts to feel warm again and Jake chuckles and mumbles in a stage whisper to Charlie “I don’t know how we haven’t done this sooner, look at how cute he is.”

“What?” Matt asks both of them, astonished, with so many questions layered underneath. It’s Charlie’s turn to try to hold back a small urge to laugh.

“Yeah,” Charlie manages with a fuller smile of adoration instead as he answers all of them simply, “oh, yeah. Without a doubt.”

“So many doubts?” Matt finds himself expressing without a filter and probably not making much sense, too stunned by the stunning men before him now lavishing him with their sole attention. The social whiplash doesn't hurt as much as his head.

“No more doubts,” Jake declares with as much surety as his usual energy, but combined with as much gentleness as this sweeter side of him that had equal footing in his personhood. He moves behind Matt to hug him gently while Charlie steps in to hug his front.

“Are you okay with this?” Charlie questions with that concern back on his face. “Is this what you want? I feel like I'm reading all of this right but...”

Matt takes in a full breath, trying to not get too overwhelmed by all of the exciting, happy, and scary feelings flying wild inside of him now with both of them towering over him so close. How, why could they want him when they had each other already?

“To date us too, you know. That’s what this guy means.” Jake clarifies unnecessarily behind him, but it makes a laugh bubble up in Matt and squashes every one of those now silly and ridiculous anxious feelings in one swift swoop. He can’t speak, instead opting for a strong nod that had both of the other men wrapping long arms around him and each other like they had been just as eagerly awaiting for this as he internally had wished for, much to his own surprise.

Full, familiar lips pressed to his temple, newer lips pressed to his opposite cheek at the same time. Matt blushed to his chest while each of his hands gripped at a corresponding arm or side of the other two.

“I love you,” Charlie whispers with his lips brushing Matt’s skin.

“I love you, too,” Jake adds in the same tone with a soft nuzzle to his cheek.

“I…...love you...three?” Matt tries to find his words, and what comes out is not at all what he wanted to say, but he supposes that it works when it makes all three of them vibrate with the laughter of the other two, “so much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first fic in this fandom! Please feel free to leave comments if you so choose, they are a writer's best friend. I have plans for more installments in this series in the future.


End file.
